Outlook for jobs gloomy in S. Carolina

A third-generation brick mason, Kevin Bolton has been job hunting since being laid off four months ago while working on the new USC baseball stadium.

“I’ve been laid off before,” the 43-year-old Columbia man said. “Sometimes you could catch on at another job the same day. The longest wait would be a week or two. But not this time. I’ve been looking and looking, and nothing’s coming through.”

Indeed, finding a job in South Carolina is challenging, and the economic news shows little promise of improving. Consider:

A grim Christmas shopping season is in the immediate future as consumers, crimped by tight credit and worried about losing their jobs, are expected to tighten spending.